The Maidens

I had to stop at 30%, chapter 3 of part 2: “the monster was in pain” ... “He sacrificed his true self, all that unfelt pain and anger, to the Underworld, to the murky world of the unconscious. He lost touch with who he really was. And the man who lured Tara to that isolated spot was a stranger as much from himself as he was from everyone else...but Tara provoked him somehow - and the terrified child inside him lashed out, and reached for a knife.” NO sorry you are incorrect, do not blame the actual victim, do not give the villain victimhood/misunderstood status, when one's psychopathy, psychosis, or “childhood trauma” has a body count I am allowed to suspend my empathy; the fundamental social contract has been broken.

Mariana, similar to Theo, is incompetent as both a therapist and a detective.
I was very disappointed and unimpressed with Mariana; I felt that she was a very weak, passive character. I dislike the way Michaelides writes women also between the two books there's at least three sex scenes that take place outside, and I think two of them don't make sense, who wants to have 'aggressive, animalistic sex' on top of stone? but maybe I'm just a prude
I hadn't realized that she wasn't showing the police the post cards, Mariana WAS obstructing justice/an ongoing investigation, ugh she's awful
The twist, although disgusting, was not what I was expecting, but followed the usual motives for murder: sex/love and/or money However I find it VERY difficult to believe that Mariana didn't recognize her dead husband's handwriting. I guess that's maybe why he wasn't too psyched to have a kid with her? Also, I had hoped Fred was going to be the twist, but then again I also kind of rooted for Mariana's death